Automatic vehicle-brake.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

,J. STEVENS.

AUTOMATIC VEHICLE BRAKE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED HOV.19, 1907.

gvwentoz atto'wwgd I No. 887,283. PATENTED MAY 1.2, 1908.

. J. STEVENS.

AUTOMATIC VEHICLE BRAKE.

APPLIGATIQIY FILED NOV. 19,1907. 0 SHEP'TS SHEET 9 q Vi u cams attczuag d line i) 3'; oil

CfF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

To all whom it may emzcem:

Be it known that i, A'Ilt'EE- STEVENS, a citiz i oi the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Automatic Vehicle: Brake, of which the following is a speci ication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in vehicle brakes and it has for its objects among others to provide a simple yet durable, efiioient and reliable autometic vehicle brake, adapted to be automatically thrown into action at the roper time, et he. wing provision to prevent the ap plication or the l when desired, as when backin also n'reans for locking the brake in braking position.

O tlier objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features tlwrco'i will be particularly pointed at in the appended claims. The invention, in its preferred form, is clearlyillustrated in the accoiu yin'g drawwhich, with the numeral; of reference -..'l;od thereon, 'l'i'irnre p2. l, or" this specifican which l :1 perspective View showing the running f with one wheel removed, and my improvonumt applied. Fig. 2 is a top plan. Fig. 3% is a li'mgiludiual section on the Fig. 2 looking in the direction of Fig. 4 is a de tail, in top plan, of moolmnisni. Fig. 5 is a perspectlie arrow.

the plunger rive either in braking position or to prevent the application oi the brake. Fig. 6 is a detail pnrlly in section an l partly in elevation showing I modified ioran oi the means for ac- K t-. brnlic-coiitrolling device. l

"2 num'mals ol' ench indicate correln'i'giu rhout the se ll views.

l. dig to the drawi s i represents the irons will provided with wheels 2 (1-. irdl'ziary cos: 5 are arranged parallel with eaclz oils r and soinewlr t close together so as to l'orin a guide for t re pole or tort no 6, as seen best in l and 5.

7 is a cross bar rigidly secured to the under H near the rear ends of the and the opposite ends of ri -icl secured to arms to by 2, seen clearly detail oi the means for locking the partshereinbe'ore described as follows.

in Fig. 1. To the upper sides of these par allel portions 5 are secured the metal members 10, and upon the up er face of the tongue 6 beneath these mom ers 10 is a me talhc plate 11 having a depending portion 12 which is adapted to engage the'rear face of the cross bar 7, as seen best in Fig. 3, to limit the forward movement of the tongue or pole 6 and prevent its entire withdrawal.

Slidably mounted to the rear of the pole and beneath the fifth wheel 13 is disposed the mechanism which automatically applies the brakes when the horses back or when the Weight of the w ,gon is forced upon them, as in going down bill. This .mecl'ianism oomprises a plunger 14 carried by the plunger stem 15 which is rigidly attached to the cross bar 16 connecting the parallel legs or members 17. threaded, as seen at 18, and adjustably engaged with the cross bar 19, suitable nuts 20 being provided whereby adjustment is attained so that the tension of the spring 21 may be regulated and adjusted as occasion may require. This spring surrounds the rod 22 which is connected at one end with the cross bar 19, its other end. bein :lapted to slide through the cross bar 4 and. through the crossbar 23 of a ran no 24;, the said spring being confined between the cross bar and a head or the like 25 which movable with the rod 22, as will be clearly understood from ig. e. The rear end of the rod 22 is bii'urcated, as seen at in Fig. l, and in this bifurcation is received the overlapped ends 27 of the brake arms 28 to the outer ends of which are attached the brake shoes 29 adapted to operate upon the rear faces oi the front Wheels 2. The brake arms 28 are pivoted. st 30 to any suitable lined part, in this instance shown as the rear ends ol' the members 3, 3, but they may be supported from a spring or any other convenient part of the vehicle. The overlapped ends ol the brake arms .28 are provided with elongated slots 1. in. which the cormecting bolt 32 engaged, as seen best in Figs. 1. and 2.

The form of the parts seen in Fig. d is but one of many that may be employed for this purpose. This particular form is shown in order to straddle and not interfere with the king bolt 33, 'will be readily understood.

'lhe o eration of my invention so far as With the parts in the position in which they are Bit in the diil'erent views, the throwing of I semes- 1 the weight of the load upon the horses either v own hill, causes-the tongue to slide rearward, or'the running gear by backing or in going relatively forward, and the pressure of the rear end of the tongue upon the plunger 14 forces the same rearward and compresses the sprin 21, the rod 22 being simultaneously force rearward the brake arms'28 moved on their pivot, the inner portions being forced '1 the rear of theiront'w rearward and the outer ends forced forward,

thus automatically .applyingAthebrakes'to eels. ssoon as normal conditions areass'umed, the spring 21 forces the plunger forward and releasesthe brakes, In order to lock the pole inits rearward position, 'I- form -'.the" forward ends of the r ole is in its rearmost I ber 38 secured in any suitable manner to some-fixed part, as for instance to the rear cross member 10. This locking member 37. ,isrecessed at 39 to receive the pole 6; and

' when it is desired to lock the parts with the pole in its rcarmost position, this locking member is forced down and closes over the lateral members 36 of the angular plates brakes, this locking member is vi'orce of the ole.

' If it e desired tolo ck the parts so that the backing of the horses will not ap ly the d downward when the parts are in the position seen in. F' s. 1 and 5 and also in Figs. 2 and 3 so as to e interposed between the forward ends of the members 5 and the lateralportions 36.

When in this position, the locking member 37 prevents therearward movement of the pole A board 45. T

to an extent'sufiicient to apply the brakes with any practical force. The locking member 37 and its spring support 38 may be controlled in any suitable manner. In the present instance I have shown a spring member 40 which is secured at its ends to some suitable part, as for instance to the bolster 41, its forward portion extending over the spring arm 38 and ad apted, when forced down upon said arm, to force it and the locking member 37 downward.

42 is a rod connected at one end, as at 43, with the springmember 40, its other end sliding throu h an opening 44 in. the foothi s rod is toothed, as at 46, said teeth bein adapted to be engaged by a pawl 47 pivotal y mounted at 48 and having an operating member 49, movement of which is J pposed by the spring 50, as seen clearly in ig. 1. When it is desired to force down- Ward the locking member 37, the rod 42 is pressed downward bythe foot or otherwise,

and the 147 engaging in the teeth 46 automatica ly locks the parts in their depressed position. v r

- In Fig. 6 is. shown a slightly modified form, which the-operating rod 51 is mounted for movement in an elongated slot 52 in the footboard 45, the forward face of said rod being toothed, as at 53, to be engaged by a pawl 54 when the rod 5]. is moved forward, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6. When the rod is disengaged from the pawl, the resiliency of the member 40, aided by that of the support 38, allows the parts to' return to their normal position. The spring member 40 is'made cam shaped,'as seen at 55, by

means of which, as the wagon iszturned to bring the pole to one side or the other to an abnormal degree, the under cam face or sur face of-said member will ride upon the support 38 and thus automatically force downward the looking member 37, as will be readily understood.

While I have shownand hereinbefore dc scribed what, at'the present time, I consider the preferable fot rit -ofembodiment of my invention, it willbe evident that the same is subject to changes, variations and modifications and I therefore do not intend to re strict myself to the details of construction, form and proportion of parts as hereinbefore described, but reserve the right to-make such changes, variations and modifications as come properly within the scope of the 'protection prayed.

What is claimed asnew is 1. In an automatic vehicle brake, a slidable tongue, a slidable mechanism automatically actuated thereby to apply the brakes,

a spring constructed to be put under compression by such slidable mechanism to automatically release the brakes and force the tongue forward, a locking member engageable over the tongue to serve the" double function of looking the tongue in its rear- ,Ward position and also to limit rearward movement of said tongue and lateral means on the tongue upon either side of which said locking member is engageable.

2/In an automatic vehicle brake, a slidable tongue, a slidable mechanism automatica'lly actuated thereby to apply the brakes,

a spring constructed to be 'put under compression by such slidable mechanism to automatically release the brakes and force the tongue forward, a locking member engageable over the tongue to serve the double function of locking the, tongue in its rearward position and also to limit rearward movement of said tongue, lateral means on the tongue engageable uponeither side of said lockin member and a yielding support for said loc ing member;

3. In an automatic vehicle brake, a slid-' able tongue, a slidable' mechanism automatically'ac tuated thereby to apply-the brakes,

a spring constructed to be put under com pression by such slidable mechanism toautomatically release the brakes and force the tongue forward, a locking'membr' engage v movement of said tongue, a member witha cam surface disposed over said locking mem-' ber and means on the tongue engageable upon either side'ofsaid locking member.

.4. In an automatic vehicle brake, a slidable tongue, a slidable mechanism automatically actuated thereby to apply the brakes, a spring constructed to'be put under compression by such slidable mechanism to au tomatically'relcase the brakes and force the tongue forward, a locking member engage-.

able over the tongue to serve the double function of locking the tongue in its rearward position and also to limit rearward movement of said tongue, a yielding support for said locking member, and lateral means on the tongue engageable' upon either side of said locking member.

5.' In an automatic vehicle break, a slidable tongue, a slidable mechanism automatically actuated thereby to apply the brakes, a spring constructed to be put under compression by such slidable mechanism to automatically release the brakes and force the tongue forward, a locking member engage.

able over. the tongue to serve the double function of locking the tongue in its rearward position and also to limit rearward movement of said tongue, means on the tongue engageable upon either side of said looking member, and a depressible yielding member for contact with said support.

6. In an automatic vehicle brake, a slidable tongue, a slidable mechanism automatically actuated thereby to apply the brakes, a spring constructed to be put under compression by such slidable mechanism to automatically release the brakes and force the tongue forward, a locking member engageable over the tongue to serve the double function of locking the tongue in its rearward position and also to limit rearward movement of said tongue, a yielding support for said locking member, means on the tongue engageable upon either side of said locking member, and a depressible yielding member above said support and provided with a cam surface for contact therewith.

7. In an automatic vehicle brake, a slidable tongue, brake-applying means actuated thereby, a'locking member, a yielding support therefor, and a depressible yielding member for contact with said support, said yielding member having a cam under surface.

.means and in front of the same and the recesses when the latter are engaged .in said 'TGCGSSGS.

9. In an automatic vehicle brake, a slidable tongue, guides therefor having recesses disposed horizontally in their forward ends,

'means on said tongue for engagement with 7 said recesses, a locking member adapted to straddle the tongue and to engage over said means and in front of the sameand the re cesses when the latter are engaged in said recesses, and a yielding support for said-locking member. I

' :10. In an automatic vehicle brake, a slidable tongue, guides therefor having recesses disposed horizontally in their forward ends, means on said tongue for engagement with said recesses, and a locking member adapted to engage over and in front of said means when the latter are engaged in said recesses, said locking member being recessed to receive the tongue.

- 11. .In an automatic vehicle brake, a slid- .able tongue, guides therefor having recesses disposed horizontally in their forward ends, means on said tongue for engagement with said recesses, a locking member adapted to engage over and in front of said means when the latter are engaged in said recesses, and a yielding support for said locking member,

said locking member being recessed to re-.

ceive the tongue.

12. In an automatic vehicle brake, a slidable tongue, guides the efor having recesses, means on said tongue for engagement with said recesses, a locking member adapted to engage over said means when the latter are engagedin said recesses, a yielding support for-said locking member, said locking member being recessed toreceive the tongue, and a depressible spring member engaging said support. p

13. In an automatic vehicle. brake, a slidable tongue, guides therefor having recesses, means on said tongue for engagement with said recesses, alocking member adapted'to engage over said means when the latter are engaged in-said recesses, a yielding support for said locking member, said locking member being recessed to receive the tongue, and a depressible spring member engaging said support, said spring member having a cam portion.

' JAMES 8TEVENS. W'itnesses FRANK A. HARmsoN, E. H. BoND. 

